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Prince Harry gives a subtle body language clue in his ITV interview with Tom Bradby that conveys anger and defiance, according to one expert. Harry’s gestures and facial expressions appear to tell more of the story about how he’s really feeling about his relationship with the royal family.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry wearing a yellow dress and suit, respectively, during the Your Commonwealth Youth Challenge reception in 2018
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry | Yui Mok/PA Wire

Prince Harry says he wants to have his brother and father back in his life

In a trailer for Prince Harry’s interview with Bradby, he shares his hope to repair his relationships with Prince William and King Charles.

“It never needed to be this way. The leaking and the planting… I want a family, not an institution,” he told Bradby.

Prince Harry also touched on William and Charles’ lack of “willingness” to mend their relationships. “They feel as though it’s better to keep us somehow as the villains,” he said. “They’ve shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile.”

He continued, “I would like to get my father back. I would like to have my brother back.”

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Body language expert Judi James provided her analysis of the interview clip, telling the Mirror that Prince Harry’s subtle expressions reveal how he’s really feeling.

While the trailer is brief, James noted Harry’s revealing body language, which indicates he wants Charles and William to make the move to reconcile.

“In a powerful moment Harry tells Tom two things: ‘I would like to get my father back’ and ‘I would like to have my brother back,’” she noted.

“But he makes these statements despite behaving in a way that could ensure that never happens,” James continued. “The message sounds like a plea but it is not presented like that.”

James further looked at Prince Harry’s expression and gestures as he made the statement about his family. “When Harry says ‘I would like my father back’ he uses a stare and a lip clamp that make him look defiant,” she explained.

The body language expert continued, “When he references William he looks away with a head tilt that forms a shrug. Both seem to suggest he is waiting for them to make the moves.”

She further explained, “We are also shown a staccato blink, a one-shoulder shrug and a head shake when he talks about ‘no willingness to reconcile,’ which all suggest suppressed anger.”

James added, “It’s hard to understand Harry’s goals from this clip. He makes the family dynamics look far more Game of Thrones than anything empathetic or conciliatory.”

Expert explains what Prince Harry’s sulk means during the interview

James provided further insight about Harry’s interview body language in an analysis for The Sun, looking closely at his gestures and expressions. “His hands do perform a ritual that suggests a desire to self-calm and self-reassure though as he rubs his thumbs together and crosses them,” she said.

When he says he wants his brother and father back, James noted there was “some hint of anger rather than sadness and regret.”

She noted, “His chin raises then drops with his expression landing in something resembling a sulk. This does not look like a throwing out of the arms in a gesture of reconciliation, rather a determination for things to be done on his own terms.”

Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.